Mental Packing

It is almost time to start packing for my trip to Kenya and Uganda. But before the plane takes off Monday morning, several things need to be taken care of. I am hopelessly behind the schedule in producing texts for the Daily Scripture podcast (Päivän Sana). Tomorrow we will try to video as many passages as possible. I still have the night for writing... And then there are another two short articles to be written before the weekend.

Friday night we will gather with a group of friends to discuss a bold vision that all of a sudden seems to be coming alive. It is quite possible that beginning of 2009 we could see the Agricola Church separated from the parish structure. It would be assigned to a consortium yet to be founded, with its separate organization, directly under the Dean of the Cathedral Parish. This would create an entirely new opportunity - and a new mode of operation.

The parish structure has long since ceased to serve larger cities. However, local parishes continue to set the rules of operation. The larger the parishes have become - and they will continue to grow due to annexations - the less capable they are in providing a sense of community for the parishioners. People hardly know what parish they belong to, let alone the name of their pastor. A linguistic factor partly explains why the medieval parish structure is still alive and kicking. There is only one word for both parish and congregation in Finnish. The New Testament promises for the community of saints have been read as stipulations for the local parish. Congregations, they do not exist. There is no legitimacy for a congregation that is not a parish. A large part of Finnish Lutheran spirituality has traditionally been channeled through revival movements with their non-parochial, non-congregationalist forms of community. Unfortunately, the most vibrant of these movements have become churches within the church with no respect for the base structure, the parish. In some cases, work in the parishes is being ridiculed. The protestant division of the church continues on the local level. I believe that the local parish/congregation needs to be reinvented and reinvigorated. It is what the Bible talks about. We want to do that. And we need to do that. Maybe not Friday night, but soon.

The last thing to do before packing is to do the necessary shopping. Finnish friends in Kenya have asked me to bring some mämmi. It is a traditional Easter delicacy that is not hard to describe. It is made out of rye flour and syrup, it is deep brown in color and it looks like crap. I am looking forward to meeting with the Nairobi customs with my plastic bags.

P.S. The return flight from Entebbe is booked for March 29.